


Once Upon A Lake

by Raquelle31



Category: Charmed (TV 2018)
Genre: Adventure, All swan action scenes were executed by a stunt double, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Many swans but not that one, Takes place after season 2 episode 15, and no birds were injured, not compliant with the rest of the season
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:26:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26149420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raquelle31/pseuds/Raquelle31
Summary: The prince of a magical land seeks the Charmed One’s help to find his missing fiancée. But, when you are dealing with magic, nothing is what it seems…
Relationships: Harry Greenwood/Macy Vaughn, Julian Shea/Macy Vaughn
Comments: 17
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

PART I

**Chapter 1**

On a dark night, Macy walks along a narrow path in a forest. She can barely see in front of her in the moonless night. Still, she walks with a determined step and soon arrives at the edge of a lake. The lake is covered with a dense and heavy mist. A light shines from afar. There is something in the middle of the lake. A little house. The light comes from a little window of the house. Someone, a woman is holding a candle whose small light seems brighter because of the surrounding darkness. Macy sees her arm, but cannot make out her face. She moves a little more towards the lake, but a swan violently jumps at her. Surprised, she stumbles.

“What happened next?” asks Maggie.

“I woke up.”

“That’s weird,” says her little sister, before taking another bite of her toast. “Could it be jet lag? I always have weird dreams when I’m super tired.”

“Yes, I must still be on Austria time!” Macy answers before pouring herself another cup of coffee.

“So, how was it?”

“Oh, it was fine,” answers Macy half-heartedly.

Maggie gives her a look.

Macy understands and sits down beside her at the table.

“Well, we took his private jet and arrived in Vienna late at night. When I woke up in the morning, Julian had left me a note saying that he had meetings all day!”

“No way!” says Maggie in disbelief. “He flew you all the way there just to leave you in a hotel room!”

“It sounded urgent,” Macy says before taking a sip of her coffee. “At least he had booked a driver and an English-speaking guide to show me around the city’s landmarks. I got to see Schönbrunn Palace, St Stephen’s Cathedral and the National History Museum. It was nice, but I would have liked to visit those places with Harr … with Julian!”

Maggie looks at her questioningly. Macy avoids her gaze.

“But he made amends,” she continues. “In the evening, he took me to dinner at a fancy restaurant whose name I can’t pronounce, then we went to Vienna State Opera to see a ballet.”

“A ballet! Which one?”

“Swan Lake”

“Swan?”

“Yeah, you know, the white tutus, Tchaikovsky music…”

“Macy! In your dream, a swan attacked you, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“There’s your link!” said Maggie triumphantly. “Mystery solved! You were thinking of swans so you dreamt about them! No magic here!”

“You really think so?” asks Macy, wanting to feel reassured. “It felt so real…”

At that moment, Harry orbs in with an injured man.

“Can I have some water please? Water!” says the man.

“Coming right up!”

Maggie goes to get him a glass of water while Macy pulls a chair out for him.

“Maggie, Macy, I’d like you to meet Prince Lyr of Pilferes Kingdom, a hidden magic land,” says Harry, “I was granted access to their forest when I saw the prince lying unconscious and bloodied. I healed him partially, but his wounds have left him quite weakened.”

The prince drinks the water, and then says, “He kidnapped her, then stole my kingdom’s amulet!”

“Kidnapped whom?” asks Macy.

“Autumn, my fiancée. Autumn and I were supposed to get married this summer, but a demon by the name of Brent took her and, according to the royal psychics, he keeps her locked in the middle of a lake.”

“The middle of a lake?” repeats Maggie.

“I know not where. But I have to…” he struggles to get up. “I have to save her!”

“Prince,” says Harry, “you must rest,” he helps him walk to the couch. “You are safe here. Sleep, and we’ll talk again when you wake.”

While the prince is asleep in the living room, Harry, Maggie, Macy and Mel—who just returned from Ruby’s—talk in the kitchen.

Macy shakes her head. “No, that’s not possible!”

“Well, you must still have it!” insists Maggie. “You must have a connection with this demon, this Brent.”

“It can’t be! I gave up all my demon powers, how could I still have the ‘Evil Eye’?”

“I don’t know,” says Harry, “but it certainly would explain your dream.”

Macy shakes her head. “It was only a dream. There was nothing magical about it. I saw Swan Lake, and so I dreamt of a lake. End of story.” She says, instantly regretting her words.

“There’s a production of Swan Lake playing now in Seattle?” asks Mel enthusiastically. “How AMAZING! I’m not much of a ballet fan, but I’ve always wanted to see that one! I’ll take Ruby! Where are they performing? McCaw Hall?”

“Actually, I saw it last night in Vienna, with Julian,” reluctantly admits Macy avoiding to look at Harry.

Harry wears a pained expression. The group falls into an awkward silence.

“So,” says Mel after a moment, “When did you come back?”

“Just a few hours ago.”

“You must be jet-lagged. How about you rest, while we work on a potion to find the Prince’s fiancée?”

“I’m good,” says Macy, not wanting to be left out.

“You know a potion that can help us?” asks Maggie.

“I came across it in the Book of Elders. Apparently, it enhances the Evil Eye. It doesn’t work exactly like Elder Bari’s needles, but it will certainly be helpful in finding the Prince’s fiancée.”

“Do you have everything you need for the potion?” asks Harry.

“Almost all, but I’ll need your special transport to collect the few remaining ingredients.”

He walks over to her.

“Macy and I will look after the Prince,” says Maggie.

With that, Harry and Mel orb out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

In a cloudy forest, Mel and Harry make their way up a rugged road.

“Can’t imagine what this prince is going through right now. I feel sorry for him.”

“Good thing you found him when you did.”

“Watch your step!” He says as she almost falls off the path.

“Thanks!”

An insect as big as a melon flies by them.

“I hope you had all your shots,” says Harry, “because you really don’t want to be stung by anything here. What are you looking for anyway?”

“The Black Flame Lily. These flowers are extremely rare, but according to the Book of Elders, a little goes a long way!”

“Watch out!”

Mel almost falls in a muddy pond, but Harry grabs her in the nick of time.

“Thanks again Harry! You always manage to save the day.”

“I do my best.”

“When you’re with us, that is.”

He looks away.

“That is not a reproach. I’m just saying that we miss you, that’s all. We haven’t seen you in a while.”

“I’ve been busy working on a project.”

“What about?”

“I am trying to find a new way to release the Darklighter from his bottle and find out who he is working for.”

Mel hesitates before asking: “Is that the only reason you’re not around?”

Harry looks at her. She kindly smiles at him.

“You’re right, Mel. There’s more to it.” He pauses. “I thought I could handle it. I mean, I should be happy for her, right? But all I keep thinking is that she’s making a mistake. That she should be with me instead of him. Pathetic, huh?”

“There’s nothing pathetic about having feelings for someone, Harry. When I feel lonely, I go on Nico’s Instagram to see what she’s up to. She’s now engaged to a children’s book illustrator. Her Insta is full of cute drawings and pictures.”

“How did you manage to get over it?”

“Who says I have? A part of me still misses her and wants to be with her. But another part of me is genuinely happy for her. Sure, sometimes I wish we could still be together, but I know it’s for the best. Great things are coming my way, but I can’t get a hold of what’s coming if I still hold on to what was. So I let go.”

“So I need to let go of Macy,” he says saddened.

She puts her arm around him, “No one says you have to do it all today, but eventually, you’ll get there.” She looks down and sees little black flowers glowing on the side of a tree. “Ah! And here’s our flower!”

They orb back to the house.

***

“My guards found his hideout. Together we can take him!”

“We should get your fiancée first,” says Macy, “once she’s safe then we can go after him.”

In the attic, Macy, Harry and the Prince are discussing a plan to rescue Autumn while Mel is preparing the potion.

“What if it doesn’t work?”

“No worries, you don’t know my sister. Her potions always work.”

“But it’s taking forever,” argues the Prince. “We could have arrested him already and forced him to tell us where he keeps her.”

“Yes, but we don’t know how powerful he is,” counter argues Macy, “there’s no reason to act rashly when the freedom of your fiancée is at risk.”

The Prince looks at Harry for support.

“Prince, I know you’re impatient to reunite with your fiancée but know that the matter is in very capable hands. We’re going to find your fiancée, bring her here and then help you arrest Brent. You just need to give us a little more time.”

“I need to get some air,” answers the prince as he quickly exits the room.

“He is not having it,” says Macy.

“Can you blame him?” says Harry. “When two people are lucky enough to find each other, they don’t want to spend a minute apart. Kind of like you and Julian.”

She looks down. “I guess…”

She yawns.

“Still jet-lagged?”

“Huh … yeah.”

“Maybe you should sit this one out. Once we find Autumn, I could orb you back to the house and the prince, your sisters and I will go after Brent.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I’m just saying, since you seem tired and all…”

“You think I’m a liability.”

He puts his hands on her shoulders. “I’m just saying, it’ll be easier to focus on the task at hand if I know that you’re safe.”

They stare in each other’s eyes. Harry blushes and walks away.

In the kitchen

“So this is going to allow Macy to see exactly where my fiancée is?”

“Better! It’s going to bring her there. Once she’s at the lake, she’ll just have to call Harry, and he will orb us all there. You’ll be reunited with Autumn in no time!”

“That’s amazing!” says the Prince. “How can I ever thank you?”

Mel smiles. “We’re not done yet, you can thank me later! Oh, I forgot the pepper. I’m just gonna grab it from the pantry, could you keep on stirring?”

“Sure!”

She turns her back to the prince, grabs the pepper, adds two teaspoons to the mix and finishes everything off with a bit of the black flower she had previously crushed with a pestle and mortar.

“All done!” she says. “Hey guys! It’s ready!”

Maggie, who was in the living room, enters the kitchen while Harry and Macy come down from the attic.

“Now remember Macy,” says Harry, “once you’re at the lake just call me and we’ll take it from there.”

She nods.

Mel hands her the potion. She drinks it in one gulp. Her vision blurs. She blacks out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Macy wakes up in her bedroom.

“Macy!” says Maggie. “I’m so glad you’re OK.” She hugs her.

“What happened?”

“You fainted. The potion didn’t work.”

“That’s weird.”

“I know! When does Mel ever mess up a potion, right?”

“Where is everyone?”

“Mel, Harry and the Prince went to face Brent while I watched over you. You got us worried there, big sis.”

“Sorry. Oh! My head is pounding.”

Maggie’s phone chimes.

“Aren’t you going to read your text?”

“It’s work. I need to finish something at Safe Space, but I don’t want to leave you here alone.”

“You can go, Maggie. I’ll be fine.”

“OK, then. I’ll come back as soon as I can.”

Maggie leaves and Macy falls back to sleep. She has another vision.

She’s in a cave, Mel and Harry are there. They are all standing in front of a man who is bound with chains. She’s holding a sword in a combat stance.

She sees a reflection of herself. _No!_ She thinks. _How could it be?_ Macy realizes in horror that she’s seeing through the eyes of … the Prince!

Macy wakes up. “I got to warn them. I got to let them know that the Prince is evil! But how?”

In a cave, somewhere

With the help of Mel and Harry, the Prince’s guards captured Brent. The demon, a gorgeous young man, who, Mel found, looked more like a rocker than the bloodthirsty monster the Prince had described, was bleeding heavily and was flanked by two guards.

“You thought you could get away with your evil doing,” exclaims the Prince. “Well, that backfired and your days of terror are over.”

He reaches and grabs Brent’s pendant.

“Ah! The amulet! Finally.”

“Now let’s find your fiancée!” says Harry.

The Prince examines the blue amulet and frowns. Its weight was about right, but its colour was a bit off. And where was the sparkling light, which glittered in the stone like a beating heart? His face darkens with anger.

“That’s not my amulet! It’s a fake! Where’s the real one?” He yells at Brent.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar!” The Prince takes out his dagger and charges towards the demon. Mel heats the metal blade handle with her magic; the knife falls. Brent manages to get free from his restraints and looks at Mel before disappearing in thick smoke.

Angry, the Prince turns to Mel, his eyes flashing red, “Why did you do that?”

“If you kill him, _your Highness_ , we can’t find your fiancée. Remember her?”

The Prince calms down and says to Mel. “I wasn’t going to kill him. The wound from a simple dagger wouldn’t do it. I was just trying to get him to talk, and now he’s gone.” He leaves them to talk to his guards.

“Harry, I’m having some doubts about the Prince.”

“Yes, I guess he is acting a bit erratic, but he’s hurting. Let’s have some compassion for him.”

The Prince walks over to them. “I’ll stay here and work with my guards to find the demon. Harry, I’ll find you once we get a lead.”

On that, Mel and Harry orb back to the house.

***

Macy appears in the bedroom of a small house. Thinking the Prince had somehow tempered with Mel’s potion, she remade it, drank it and was transported to the lake house.

She looks out the window and sees the foggy lake. She hears people having what sounds like an argument in the living room. Carefully, she walks to the door and peeks in.

She sees the Prince having a heated conversation with a woman: “The ball’s in your court, Autumn. You know what to do,” he says before disappearing.

Macy enters the living room “Hi Autumn, no, don’t be afraid!”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Macy Vaughn, the Prince asked my sisters and I to help him find you.”

“Really?” she says. “Why on Earth would he do that?”

At the house

“Maggie? Maggie?” calls Mel. “She’s not here!”

“I’ll go check on Macy,” says Harry who runs up the stairs.

As he is about to knock on Macy’s bedroom door, Maggie enters the house.

“Maggie!” says Mel. “Where were you?”

Harry sighs in front of Macy’s bedroom door and goes back down the stairs.

“I had to finish something at Safe Space.” She looks at Harry. “Don’t worry, Macy’s OK. She woke up, said she had a bit of a headache and went back to sleep. Otherwise I wouldn’t have left.”

“Looks like the jet lag and the failed potion got the best of her,” says Mel.

“I told her she could sit this one out, it’s up to us to find Brent and save Autumn,” says Harry.

In the Lake House

Macy is sitting on a Louis VXI sofa. The living room is richly decorated. The wooden furniture seems to come straight out of a Parisian museum. On a table is a swan-shaped lamp, Autumn places a tray on which are two cups, and a teapot. She pours the tea into the cups, gives one to Macy, takes the other and sits on an armchair opposite the Charmed One.

“So,” she begins, “you can just appear anywhere you want?”

“Not quite. You see, I’m a witch and my sister, who’s also a witch, found a magical potion to help me find you. Our Whitelighter found your prince in the forest and…”

Autumn was listening intently. She didn’t even flinch when Macy said that she was a witch. Her bright eyes seem full of kindness and compassion. She radiates a certain warmth and wisdom beyond her years even though she doesn’t look more than 24 or 25.

“You know, I have some powers of my own, well I used to… I could stop a person or an animal from moving for a couple of minutes, but it’s nothing like what Lyr can do. To be able to transport yourself whenever and wherever you want, now that’s what I call a power. It would be a most welcomed power in my present predicament.”

“Autumn, why does the Prince keep you here?”

“It’s complicated,” she says as she gets up. “Silly me! I forgot the cookies! Be right back!”

She comes back with a tray of assorted cookies.

“Autumn, if you don’t love him anymore, you don’t have to stay with him. He has no right to keep you under lock and key!”

“Oh, but I’m crazy about him. That’s the problem. Besides, the door’s not locked, but I have no way of getting to shore.” She walks over to the window. “There are things about me I can’t share with the Prince. And, if I join my life to his, I would have to be honest with him about everything…”

“And you’re afraid he won’t like what he sees.”

Autumn comes back to the couch and sits next to Macy.

“I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to talk to someone who understands.” She gives her her most genuine smile.

At that moment, a couple of swans violently peck the window.

Macy jumps in surprise.

“Oh! Don’t mind them. They’re just surprised to see you here.”

“I don’t know much about swans, but there’s something strange about these.”

Something sparkles in Autumn’s eyes.

“Legend has it, the land you know as Pilferes Kingdom was once the land of a matriarchal society ran by priestesses whose power came from a sacred stone. As long as the sacred stone was in the sacred temple, no one could take over the land. When the Prince’s forefathers launched an attack, a young priestess ran to the temple to get the stone only to find that it was missing. When she went back out, she saw that all the priestesses had been turned into swans. And so, it is said that these swans are the protectors of women who carry the ideals and strength of the priestesses of yesteryears and will do so until the day Veraliss Kingdom rises again.”

“What a beautiful story.”

“Isn’t it? My grandmother used to tell it to me all the time when I was a little girl.”

They stay a moment in silence.

“So, Macy, do you have a prince of your own?”

“Yes, I have a boyfriend. You could say he is kind of a prince. He is smart, respectful, and very dashing. I’ve never been one to like fairy tales, but he puts a lot of thought into every date we have, he buys me flowers, he takes me places I’ve never been before, and a part of me feels like a princess when I’m with him.”

“But…”

“But?”

“I can hear a ‘But’. The relationship is not that great.”

“Oh, it is,” says Macy trying to convince herself.

“Then what’s the problem?” she says as she refills Macy’s cup.

Macy hesitates. She’s not sure she can trust Autumn even though she’s really nice and friendly.

“Let me guess,” says Autumn, “you can’t tell him that you’re a witch!”

“That’s true.”

“I knew it!”

“But there’s more… I think I like someone else.”

“Ooooh … do tell!”

“He is a very good friend. He is handsome and kind and very caring. And he knows so much.”

“Then why not go for it?”

“I’m not sure how he feels about me. I mean I know that he finds me attractive, but I don’t want to take a chance on something that could just be superficial. You know?”

“I didn’t want to go out with Lyr at first because of the age difference.”

“What age difference?”

“I’m 34, and he’s ten years younger than me.”

“You’re 34!”

“I must have good genes, anyway, when I first came to Pilferes Kingdom, my mission… I mean my job was clear: work at the archaeological site, get as much information about the people that inhabited the land before and publish my findings. One day, the Prince and other dignitaries came to look at the work—the clerk that was supposed to show them around couldn’t make it—and so the Prince and I met, and it’s been a whirlwind romance ever since. That is before all this.”

“Autumn, why did the Prince _really_ put you here?”

“If you must know. Some of his advisors didn’t like me very much and told lies about me to the Prince. They said that I was a spy and that I was working with enemies of the kingdom.”

“That’s terrible!”

She nods. “The advisors wanted to have me arrested, but the Prince objected because, since I am his fiancée, that would create a scandal. So he put me here, in the middle of a lake. He thinks that if he keeps me here long enough, I’ll confess and we’ll be able to work something out. But I can’t confess to something I didn’t do.”

“I can make you a truth serum. You could take it and prove to the Prince once and for all that you are telling the truth.”

“That would be wonderful! Thank you!”

“I’ll just call my friend, Harry, and we’ll be out of here in no time.”

“Harry! Harry!”

No one comes.

“Maybe it will work better if you call him from outside,” she says as she opens the front door.

“Good idea!” says Macy as she steps out.

As soon as Macy walks through the door, the house is illuminated by an intense beam of light that disappears after a few seconds.

Autumn lets out a sigh of relief. “Finally, the curse is lifted,” she says, as a frightened swan runs back into the house.

Autumn picks up Macy’s clothes, and closes the door.

While she removes her dress and puts on Macy’s outfit, she looks at the frightened bird wobbling frantically all over the place.

“Now, now, Macy, this will only stress your little birdy heart. And considering that swans have a life expectancy of about 30 years, I’d avoid stress if I were you.”

Understanding that she has been tricked, Macy launches at Autumn who stops her with a wave of her hand. Macy falls motionless on the floor.

“Got my magic back! How sweet!”

Someone knocks at the door. It’s Brent. Autumn lets him in.

“I saw the light! My lady, is the curse finally lifted?”

“Yes! Did you get the amulet?”

“It’s hidden in the cave.”

“Perfect!”

He looks at the swan on the floor.

“What happened?”

“This is Macy, who courageously sacrificed herself so I could have my freedom and a chance to take over the Prince’s kingdom. She just can’t move right now.”

She walks and kneels by the bird.

“On behalf of Veraliss Kingdom, I would like to thank you for what you have done for us. The Prince wants the amulet that Brent stole from him, it holds the power to his kingdom. With this amulet, I will destroy Pilferes Kingdom and Veraliss will rise again.”

“Time to prepare for battle,” says Brent before offering his hand to Autumn. She takes it and the two disappear in thick smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll be posting the second part next week!


	4. Chapter 4

Part II

**Chapter 4**

Mel wonders with a feeling of uneasiness if her memory is playing tricks on her as she finds some of the bottles she had put back in their place after her last potion still on the kitchen island.

“I could have sworn that I had put them away,” she tells herself. “Maggie, did you make a potion?”

“Nope, I didn’t touch anything.”

“Well, someone did. I just know I put the toad eyes away.”

Harry comes back with the Prince, “I found my Autumn.”

****

They orb to the little house, in the middle of the lake, and find the front door open. Panicked, the Prince rushes in.

“Autumn! Autumn!”

He gasps when he sees the swan next to the red gown.

He tries to hug the swan, but the bird struggles and pecks him.

“That’s Autumn?” asks Maggie, “I imagined her more … human.”

“It’s the curse! It transformed her into a swan,” answers the Prince. “Why did you cross the magic curtain my love?” He whispers to her. “We could have worked something out.”

“Prince, the demon could come back any minute,” says Harry. “Let’s go back to the house, we’ll work on a way to reverse the enchantment.”

***

In the house, while the Prince is in the living room chasing after the swan who clearly doesn’t want to be near him, Harry and the girls discuss in the kitchen.

“Harry, something’s not adding up,” says Maggie.

“I know. You’d think Autumn would be happy to see him. Maybe she will be once she’s back in her human form,” he says, “I have some books in the attic that might help us understand what’s going on with the whole bird situation. I’ll do some research while you work on a spell.”

Harry leaves the room.

“Mel, am I the only one seeing this?”

“You’re not, I don’t think the Prince is being that truthful with us.”

“Then, how come Harry can’t see it?”

“I don’t know, Mags, maybe he sees a little bit of himself in the Prince and wants to believe he’s telling the truth.”

In the living room

The Prince finally manages to catch the bird.

“My love, I never wanted it to go this far. Autumn, I’m still in love with you. It pains me so much to see you like this.”

The bird tries to get away, but he hugs her tight.

“Autumn, yes I did put you in a magical prison but I need the amulet to break the curse. Help me find my amulet, I swear I won’t kill Brent. What do you say?”

The bird bites his nose. He puts his hands to his face. She gets away.

“Fine, have it your way,” says the Prince before disappearing.

In the attic

Harry is engrossed in his reading when someone knocks at his door. He gets up, opens the door but sees no one, so he closes it. Someone knocks again. He opens the door. Still no one’s there. “That’s funny,” he says before looking down and seeing the swan.

“If it isn’t the future princess. Did you come to help me find a way to break the curse?” She nods. “Well, come in, you’re more than welcome to help.”

He helps her to a chair. “Are you hungry? I think we have some peas. I’ll get you some.”

He comes back shortly with a bowl of peas. “Here you go!”

He pets her on the head as she eats the peas. “You know, I once saw a video of a duck eating peas. I first thought the video had been speeded up because he was eating so fast!”

Macy tries to slow down her pace. “It’s alright! No judging here. Do you want more?”

She shakes her head.

“OK then. Autumn, I promise you that my friends and I will do everything in our power to free you from this curse. We’ll find the amulet, and you’ll be back in your prince’s arms in no time.”

She motions to him. “What? You want me to hold you? Sure.” He lifts the 20-something-pound bird and delicately places her on his lap.

“You know, I’ve been telling my friend Macy about you and the Prince. I told her that you were lucky to have found each other. What you and Prince Lyr have… Well, that’s the type of love people write poems about.” The swan caresses his cheek.

“What? If I’m in love? As a matter of fact I am. I’m in love with the most exceptional woman, but she loves another. My love is unrequited, and I don’t know how to tell my heart to stop beating for her. This unfortunately has led to quite awkward situations: we avoid the subject, she keeps all the flowers he gives her in her room to make sure I don’t see them… Mel, one of the sisters says that I should learn to let go, but just the thought of letting go is so painful to bear. You see, Macy’s not just stunning, she shines! She’s witty, kind and so courageous! Every time we’re together, I feel like I can accomplish anything! She awakens something in me. Now, how am I supposed to let go of that?”

There’s a knock at the door.

“Come in!”

Mel and Maggie enter the attic.

“Harry,” says Mel, “we need to talk about the Prince.”

***

Harry orbs back with the Prince.

“I need you to bless this,” says the Prince as he puts his dagger on the table, “it’s the only way to vanquish Brent once and for all.”

“Before we start,” says Harry, “we have a few questions for you.”

“Can’t it wait? We have to act now before we lose his trail!”

“Then, I suggest we get to it.”

Harry looks at Maggie. She nods and proceeds with the interrogation.

“Are you a demon?” she asks.

“What? Of course not!” says the Prince, offended.

“I saw your eyes flash red,” argues Mel.

“I come from a long line of wizards, I inherited some magic, but the real magic is in the stone, which we need to retrieve at all cost.”

“At all cost,” repeats Mel, “funny you would say that. Would that include sabotaging my potion, so that we would go after Brent instead of rescuing your fiancée?”

“All I did was add more of those squishy things. Your sister’s fine,” he says unapologetically, “we needed to move right away.”

Harry and the sisters look at each other.

“Are we done? Because we need to go now!” he says impatiently.

“Almost,” says Harry, “last question: did you curse your own fiancée?”

“She started it!” answers the Prince.

The sisters and Harry look horrified.

Appalled, Harry says to him, “Well, that’s definitely not the answer we were expecting. Change her back!”

“I can’t,” says the Prince suddenly riddled with guilt. “It’s complicated.”

He takes a seat.

“When I first saw Autumn it was love at first sight. There’s something magic about her, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t have done to be in her good graces.”

“Then what happened?” asks Maggie.

“Pilferes Kingdom has enemies. They’re not mighty in battle like us, but they are nevertheless relentless. They are horrible people who only try to bring my kingdom to its demise. They live over the hills, in the mountains. We have no contact. Anyway, it turns out that Autumn is one of their spies.”

“So that’s why you imprisoned her?” asks Mel.

“Not exactly. You see, when they say ‘love is blind,’ they aren’t kidding. My advisors warned me about Autumn, but I didn’t want to listen. One night, while we were in bed, she tried to immobilize me with her powers so she could steal my kingdom’s amulet. However, since I was wearing it, her powers had no effect on me. I knew that if I told my men, they would order her execution, as is my kingdom’s penalty for treason. So I hid her away hoping she would eventually confess and that we could work things out.”

Harry looks at Mel. She gives him an incredulous look.

“What about the curse?” asks Harry.

“Those darn birds always seem to be close by when we were outside, so I thought it’d be fitting. I didn’t know about Brent until he ambushed me in the forest. When I came to, the amulet was gone. That’s when you found me.”

“Why lie to us?” asks Maggie.

“Because I felt ashamed about what I had done, and I didn’t think you’d help me find my amulet if you knew the truth, so I made up the story about her having been kidnapped. I used the amulet to make the curse and I need it to break it. This could be our only chance to get it back.”

“And why should we believe you?” asks Mel, still not trusting him.

“Fine!” he says, getting up so forcefully that the chair falls to the floor. “You don’t want to believe me? Then don’t. I’ll get back my amulet with or without your help.”

On that he disappears.

“He forgot his dagger,” says Maggie as she picks up the object. She has a premonition. She sees rows of giant columns leading up to a city falling in a pit of fire.

“Maggie,” says Mel. “What did you see?”

“The destruction of Pilferes Kingdom. Mel, what do we do?”

She sighs, “We save him.”

They’re just about ready to orb out when Swan/Macy comes into the room and signals she wants to go with them.

“I’m sorry Autumn,” says Harry, “it’s too dangerous for you to come with us. Stay here, we’ll be back in no time, I promise.”

They orb away leaving Swan/Macy alone in the house.

She goes to the front door and tries to figure out a way to get out. Suddenly, she hears banging in the kitchen. She flies there and sees dozens of swans hitting the window with their beaks. Finally, a crack!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Mel, Maggie and Harry orb to the battlefield.

Fire rises from the ground like geysers all around them. The sisters and Harry stay close to each other while looking for the Prince. Harry spots him near a tall wall of fire.

The prince and his royal guards try as best they can to make their way through the formidable flames using their shields.

The sisters and Harry manage to make their way to him.

“Your Highness,” says Maggie, “here is your dagger. We’ve blessed it.”

The Prince takes the weapon.

“It is of no use to me if I can’t get over there.”

The Prince points to the other side of the fire. There, at the top of a rocky hill, stands a tall woman holding the blue amulet high above her head. Next to her, Mel and Harry recognize the demon Brent. The woman seems to be controlling the fires.

“That WITCH,” says the Prince with disdain, “wants to destroy my kingdom!”

“Hey!” says Maggie, offended.

“Watch it!” says Mel.

“Oh, sorry…” apologizes the Prince, realizing who he was talking to. “Is there any way you can help me get to the other side?”

“I can help,” says Mel. She raises her arm and stretches out her hand to channel her power. The particles of fire slow down, and a breach is made in the wall allowing the Prince to pass. Mel and Maggie follow him while Harry stays behind to heal the wounded guards.

Brent sees the Prince approaching.

Without wasting any time, he advances with a determined step towards the prince, brandishing his sword.

The prince does the same. He has a smug look on his face.

“I was looking forward to our rematch.”

The two men battle.

“Maggie, we’re too close. Let’s get out of the way!”

Without looking away from the fight, Mel and Maggie move backwards to leave as much room as possible between them and the two adversaries.

Maggie taps her sister’s shoulder.

“Look!”

Mel turns and notices with surprise that she and her sister are barely 10 feet away from the woman holding the prince’s amulet.

She looks at the woman: her face, a picture of calm amid the destruction and chaos all around.

“Who is she?” asks Maggie.

“I don’t know, but we need to get the stone in order to stop this madness. Any ideas?”

At that moment, a flight of swans swoops down from the sky and rapidly fly around Autumn. One of them flies away with the stone.

“Brent!” cries the woman, “she took the stone.”

When he hears Autumn’s cry, the Prince’s attention wavers. Brent takes the opportunity to disarm him and lacerates his torso before running quickly to her.

“My lady! Who took the stone?”

“That witch, Macy!”

“Macy!!!” scream Mel and Maggie.

“Macy?” asks Harry.

Brent uses his magic to send a strong gust of wind at the birds. Macy drops the amulet and is whisked along with the other birds in the forest.

Harry runs after her.

The injured prince manages to grab Brent by the neck and takes out his dagger to deliver the final blow, but the demon quickly disappears.

Autumn sees the amulet and runs towards it, but the Prince appears in front of her and picks it up.

“It’s over, Autumn.”

He holds the amulet high above his head. The blue stone shines brightly and floods everything with its blinding light.

In the forest

“Macy! Macy! Are you OK?” Harry gently holds the stunned bird who starts moving again. “I’m so glad you’re fine!” He says in relief before hugging the bird.

The swan gives him a blank gaze.

“Stay with me … we will break this curse I promise!”

“When you’re done with your new friend, mind giving me a hand?” Comes a voice not far away.

“Macy!” Harry says running to the eldest Charmed one who’s hiding in the bushes. “What are you doing there?”

“It just so happens that an enchantress has my clothes.”

“Say no more.”

Harry orbs out and comes back in seconds.

“I grabbed the first thing I could find.” He says as he hands her her trench coat and looks away.

Macy puts on the coat and gets out of the bushes.

They stay in an awkward silence.

Embarrassed, Harry says: “Macy, about what I said when I thought you were Autumn…”

“Do you really think I’m exceptional?” She says to him playfully.

“Macy! Macy!” Scream Mel and Maggie as they run to their sister and give her a big hug.

“How do you feel?” asks Mel.

“Heavy,” she chuckles, “but glad to be human again.”

They go find the Prince.

“Autumn, for your crimes against Pilferes Kingdom, I hereby sentence you to prison,” he says, his eyes full of sadness. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

The woman mutters something in an unrecognizable language, pushes the guards and grabs Macy’s hands before the guards finally manage to subdue her.

“That’s enough magic from you, Autumn,” says the Prince as he uses his amulet to temporarily stop her from speaking. “Take her away!” He turns to Macy.

“Are you alright Macy?”

“Yes, your Highness, no harm done,” says Autumn in Macy’s body as the guards carry away the eldest Charmed one.

Harry goes to her, “Macy, about what I said when you were a swan…”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, I already forgot.”

Crushed, Harry tries to put on a brave face as they say goodbye to the Prince and orb back to the house.


	6. Chapter 6

PART III

**Chapter 6**

Macy is jogging in a lush forest. She takes a turn and stops when she reaches a hill with a view of the mountains.

She takes in the view and remembers the week’s events. When she first got here, she thought she’d get to explain herself to Prince Lyr. She pleaded with the guards to let her speak to him but they refused.

“And corrupt our prince? No way, Autumn. We won’t let you!”

She then thought Harry and her sisters would rescue her. She imagined how her sisters would lure false-Macy into an energy field and force her to confess to what she’d done. But Autumn must have put a spell on them, and so after a few days had passed, it started to sink in that if she’s going to get out, she’d have to rely on herself –good thing she’s had the practice.

And so, now, every time she goes out for a run, she takes items back with her. Yesterday was an acorn, the day before, moss, and today – as luck would have it – some pebbles right there, on the hill. _Good!_ She thinks, as she pretends to tie her shoes and picks up the pebbles. _Now if I can just find some oak-tree bark, I can brew something and prepare my big escape!_

“Ready to go back to your cell?” asks one of the guards.

“A cell? I supposed you could call it that,” says Macy. Indeed, it was hardly a cell, like the lake house, her place was filled with luxury items, she is served the best food and she even gets to go out to walk or jog in the forest twice a day. When it comes to imprisonment, there is worst.

_The Prince must really love her_ , she thinks, _treason is not usually met with such clemency_.

On their way back, they hear something moving in the trees.

“Who’s there?” asks the other guard, while pointing his spear at the trees and walking closer to the sound.

Suddenly, a smoke bomb explodes.

Macy can hear the guards fighting but she can’t see anything through the thick smoke.

The noise stops.

“Who are you and what do you want?”

“It’s me, my lady.”

The smoke clears, and Macy recognizes Brent, Autumn’s accomplice. She sees the two guards lying motionless on the ground.

“Did you kill them?” she asks feeling fearful of the potentially dangerous man in front of her.

“Just knocked them out. You’re safe now. Come with me, we have much to do,” he says as he offers her his hand.

Trembling, Macy takes it and they both disappear in a cloud of smoke.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The Vera-Vaughn house looks like a little garden: so many flowers everywhere! By the window, fresh lilies of the valley, next to the couch, a beautiful bouquet of snapdragons and button pompons, and on the living room table, yellow roses.

However, the fragrance of the flowers isn’t enough to relieve Maggie of her stress. Indeed, the young assistant manager is in the living room, typing furiously on her laptop while reading reports and expenditure charts.

Exasperated, she lets out a sigh, takes a sip of her third cup of coffee and starts typing again. Mel enters the house carrying a bouquet of long-stemmed white roses.

Maggie looks up from her screen, “Flowers, again?”

“Every day this week.”

“So, he just leaves them at the magic shop?”

“What other choice does he have? It’s not like he can send them here.”

“He must really love her to put up with all the secrecy…” says the youngest sister before getting back to her work.

“Speaking of Macy, have you seen her?”

“Nope! I’ve had my head in this PowerPoint presentation all week.”

Autumn in Macy’s body comes down the stairs looking fabulous in a red dress.

When she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she strikes a pose, “How do I look?”

“Stunning!” says Maggie.

“Julius is taking me to the museum, I’ve been too busy to see him this week, but I’m letting him take me out tonight. There’s an exhibition downtown I’m dying to see.”

“Julian,” corrects Mel.

“Yes, Julian.”

“You said Julius.”

“I heard it too!” says Maggie without looking up from her work.

“Oh! Silly me,” she chuckles.

“What’s the exhibition about?” asks Mel

“They’ve recently found some ancient artifacts, and so they are showing them to the public for the very first time.”

“That sounds interesting.”

“Love to chat some more, but I’d better get going, don’t want to be late for my date. Don’t wait up!”

“Have fun you two!” says Maggie.

“Oh, I know I will!” answers false-Macy before leaving.

***

Macy and Brent reappear in a rocky cave.

“My lady, I am so happy to see you well. Sorry I wasn’t able to come sooner, but the Prince and his guards have been on my tail since the fight.”

“No worries,” says Macy in Autumn’s body.

“Great news, I have found it!”

“Found what?”

“The Heart of Veraliss!”

She gives him a questioning look.

“Oh, no. It is as I have feared. Their magic inhibitors had an effect on your memory, didn’t they?”

“Uh, it would appear so.”

“The Heart of the Goddess Veraliss is the heart of our Kingdom,” he explains. “The day Prince Lyr’s people took over the land, a priestess ran to the temple and found that this sacred stone had been stolen. That’s how our enemies were able to take over. But now, we have a chance to get our stone back and rise Veraliss Kingdom from the ashes.”

Macy remembers the story Autumn told her in the lake house about an ancient matriarchal society. Was it all real?

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t realize that Brent had stopped talking, and is now looking at her expectantly.

“You were saying?”

“Our window of opportunity is closing, we need to act now!”

***

Autumn in Macy’s body is waiting for Julian in the Museum lobby.

“Macy!” says Julian. “You are a vision. People can’t take their eyes off of you.” He says kissing her on the cheek.

Autumn suddenly understands Macy’s comment about not wanting to be only liked for her looks.

“You are such a charmer,” she replies coyly.

“You know, I have a special surprise for you.”

“Can’t wait to see it, but first shouldn’t we go in?”

“Soon, we’re just waiting for someone.”

An older man wearing glasses comes to greet them.

“Mr. Shea. We’re so honoured that you would join us tonight!”

The museum’s curator offers to be their personal guide for this special exhibition.

They start the tour.

“Here we have some Greek terracotta jugs and hydras dating as far back as 700 B. C.,” he says showing them the beautiful artwork. “Over there, we have…”

They move from one gallery to the next. Julian listens attentively as the curator describes the different art works, vessels, ceramics, artifacts, etc. Autumn is getting more and more anxious. _Where is the stone?_ She thinks. _Don’t tell me I did all of this for nothing!_ They enter a small room, and there, in a glass box, shimmering under the softened light: the Heart of Veraliss!

The museum hadn’t been able to put a date on the markings of the stone and had wrongly attributed its origin to ancient Rome, but Autumn knew better. These markings were from Veraliss, she’d recognize them anywhere.

Autumn struggles to contain her emotions as she admires for the very first time her kingdom’s stone. This stone, which had been stolen from her land. This stone, which absence caused her kingdom to fall. All the destruction, so many lives lost. Now, finally, a chance to right the wrongs.

“Veraliss Kingdom will be raised tonight.”

“What’s that?” asks Julian.

“Oh, nothing.” She shrugs.

“Shall we continue the tour?”

She smiles and takes his arm.

After the tour, Autumn is determined not to leave without the stone.

“I have to go to the ladies’ room. Be right back!”

Unnoticed, she takes the elevator and gets back to the room with the red stone.

“Looking for this?” asks real-Macy holding the stone.

Autumn doesn’t answer.

“I came a little earlier and did a little switching spell of my own. Don’t touch that one unless you want to trigger the alarm.”

Autumn smiles, “Good, you’re on time.”

“What?”

Brent pushes Macy forward. Autumn grabs her hands and says the reverse spell. They switch bodies. Macy is once again in her own body while Autumn is back in hers –and has the real Heart of Veraliss.

Macy looks at Brent “You knew from the start that I wasn’t her, didn’t you?”

“It’s not personal,” says the faithful accomplice.

“Then why put on this whole charade? You could have gotten her out of prison and gotten the stone without using me.”

“Because,” says Autumn, “we want you and your sisters to understand that we’re not the bad guys here. Lyr’s people destroyed our kingdom, our homes. We just want things back the way they were.”

“I’m truly sorry for what happened to your people, but it’s not like we can go back in time and right the wrongs of the past.”

“No, we can’t do that,” agrees the woman. “But we sure can decide on the future we want, and I want a future without the evils of Pilferes Kingdom. Veraliss will rise again!”

On that note, Autumn and Brent disappear leaving a perplexed Macy in the dim-lit room.

“There you are!” says Julian, “I have been looking all over for you. The museum’s about to close.”

“I just wanted to look at the stone one more time.”

“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? But it’s nothing compared to you.”

He kisses her, then whispers in her ear. “Your surprise is waiting for you at the hotel.”

On their way to the hotel Macy keeps trying to find ways to gently call it a night with Julian so she can warn Harry and her sisters and stop Autumn before she destroys Pilferes Kingdom, but she comes up short.

In the hotel hallway

“Surprise! I’ve booked us the honeymoon suite,” he says with a grin as he opens the door.

They enter a spacious and luxurious room. On one side, patio doors that lead to a private terrace, with a picturesque mountain view. On the other, a king-sized bed covered with rose petals and a heart-shaped chocolate box.

In a corner of the room, a hot tub with bubbling water. But what really gets Macy’s attention is right next to the hot tub: a champagne bottle sitting in a bucket of ice.

“Is that strawberry champagne?” she asks eagerly.

“Only the finest for my girl.” He answers before kissing her.

His phone rings.

Annoyed, he looks at his cell to see who’s calling, then says to Macy. “Sorry, I got to get this. Be right back.” He steps out into the hallway.

“What to do now?” She asks herself. “If I spend any more time with Julian, it will be too late to stop Autumn from destroying the Prince’s kingdom.”

Macy knows she needs to get out of there, but how can she do it without hurting Julian’s feelings? He obviously put a lot of thought into this evening, and she hates letting people down but…

“Macy, I have to go.”

“What?”

“The project I’m working on, there’s been an … incident. I need to get there.”

“Oh. I see. Will you come back later?” she says surprised by her own hopeful tone.

He gives her a look that she can’t quite figure out.

“There’s something that I have been meaning to talk to you about. Macy, we can’t go on like this. We barely get to see each other. And once again I have to cancel on you… I still feel bad about what happened in Austria.”

Macy understands where Julian is going with this. After all, the handsome billionaire probably has better things to do than interrupt his busy schedule to come to Seattle and see her. It was nice while it lasted. It stings a little. But she knows it’s for the best.

“You’re breaking up with me.”

“What? No! I want you to move in with me. This way, wherever I am in the world, I can come home to your pretty face.” He caresses her cheek.

“Oh!” She says surprised. “I did not expect that.”

“Macy, aren’t you tired of only meeting up once in a while and not getting to see each other for weeks at a time? Don’t you want something more?”

It was their arrangement. And it worked for her. Well, it did for a while. But Julian’s right. She does want more. Just not with him... She now knows what she wants. It’s crystal clear. _Come on, Macy,_ she thinks. _You can do it. Just like a Band-Aid._

“Julian, I think it’d be better for us to go our separate ways.”

“What?” He says taken aback. “You’re breaking up with me?”

His phone rings. He turns it off, and goes to sit on the bed.

“What if I don’t go?”

She goes to sit beside him.

“Julian, it’s not about you. You’re wonderful, and I really enjoyed our time together. It’s just that we want different things. I’m sorry.”

“So am I.”

He looks down, pensive. “It’s the time apart, isn’t it?”

“I just wasn’t looking for serious. I’m sorry, I should have made it clear sooner. I never meant to hurt you.”

He nods, “It sucks.”

She holds his hand, and they stay like this in silence for a moment.

“Well,” he says, “I better go.”

He gets up, walks to the door, and looks at her one last time, “Goodbye, Macy.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Harry was working on a talisman duplicate when he heard Macy’s cry.

“Harry! Harry! I need you!”

He dutifully orbs in the hotel room and is surprised as he takes in his surroundings: a jacuzzi, satin sheets, rose petals on the bed, and Macy looking ravishing in. _That._ Dress.

“Those dreams are getting more vivid,” he says to himself.

“Harry! I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you!” She runs to him and gives him a big hug.

He goes to kiss her. Surprised, she pulls back.

“What are you doing?”

“You said you need me.”

“To take me home.”

“Oh!” he says realizing the misunderstanding. “Of course.”

They orb back to the house.

***

“So, you’re saying that we spent the whole week living with Autumn?” asks Mel.

“Didn’t you notice?” asks Macy a little ticked off that her sisters hadn’t noticed the switch.

“I have been working like crazy at Safe Space! I have a big report due tomorrow! There’s no time to do anything else, and all those pointless meetings… Argh!” Says Maggie clearly overwhelmed. “What’s your excuse Mel?”

“No soccer games. Ruby and I could stay in bed without having her roommates storm her room to watch the only TV.”

“So none of you realized I was missing??? Harry?”

“The important thing is that you’re back,” he deflects. “Now, you mentioned a battle?”

“Autumn has her hand on a powerful amulet, similar to the Prince’s but this one is red. She plans on destroying Pilferes Kingdom which destroyed hers a long time ago.”

“That’s terrible!” says Mel.

“Is it?” asks Macy. “The Prince’s people killed and looted to take over that land. Autumn has a pretty good reason to be pissed.”

“Maybe,” says Harry, “but she can’t just exact revenge on the innocent people living there now, can she?”

“Are they truly innocent or are they just turning a blind eye?” argues Macy.

“One land, two people, which side are we on?” asks Maggie.

“Neither,” says Mel. “First things first, we need to get there stat, and stop Autumn from destroying the city and killing the people, then, we’ll get her and the prince to work out their differences for the good of everyone.”

“Sounds like a plan,” says Harry. “Let’s go!”

***

They orb into the battlefield.

“Oh, no!” Screams Maggie, “my vision is coming true.”

Indeed, one by one, the columns that lead to the city’s entrance fall in a pit of fire.

“I see the prince!” says Harry.

Mel uses her molecular deceleration to clear a path for them to get to the Prince, while Macy uses her magic to stop the fire walls from advancing on them.

With the help of his amulet, the Prince extinguishes the fires in front of him and tries to get to Autumn, who’s on a cliff holding the red stone high above her head, ready to destroy his kingdom.

“Your Highness,” says Harry, “the sisters can use the Power of Three to stop Autumn.”

“No!” answers the Prince decidedly. “I need to get to her!”

“But your Highness…” protest Harry.

Mel puts her hand on the Whitelighter’s arm and shakes her head. “It’s no use Harry. He won’t listen to reason. All we can do is be ready to help him if things go awry.”

They follow the Prince as they make their way up the hill.

When the Prince arrives on the cliff, Brent is there, ready to stop him from getting closer.

“Do not take another step,” he warns.

The Prince takes out the blessed dagger and throws it on the ground.

“I’m not here to hurt her, I just want to talk to her.”

Brent scrutinizes his face to see if he is sincere and steps aside to let him through.

“Autumn!”

“You’re too late, Lyr, I’m going to destroy your kingdom.”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

“I’m giving your people time to evacuate.”

“My people are safe. I ordered an evacuation the moment I learned you got out of prison. The city is empty, you can exact your revenge.”

She hesitates.

“Can’t do it, can you? You’re a good person, Autumn. You’re better than this.”

“You don’t know me.”

“Oh, but I do. I know the girl who jumps in delight when she hears good news, the one who makes funny faces to make kids laugh. The determined professional who studied hard and managed to make a name for herself in her field, and got the top job despite lying about where she was from.”

“You knew I wasn’t from Pilferes.”

“I didn’t care. My advisors did, but I didn’t. I love you, and I believe you love me too.”

Tears run down her cheeks. With a wave of her arms, the walls of fire go out.

The prince goes to her.

“Ever since I was a little girl, I have heard the call of justice. Lyr, I love you, but I also love my people, and what happened to Veraliss wasn’t right. My people are still suffering.”

Lyr wipes her tears.

“I know. After you left, a guard and I travelled incognito on the other side of the hills, in the mountains, and saw the legacy of hurt my forefathers left in their wake. Autumn, in the name of Pilferes, I want to apologize for the wrong that was done to you and your people.”

They hug.

“What happens now?” she asks.

“I don’t know, but I want to be part of the solution.”

He looks a moment at his amulet then holds it up in the air.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to destroy my kingdom.”

“What?” She asks surprised.

“Together, we will build a new one. A better one. We’ll build a land where the people of Pilferes and Veraliss will work alongside another, celebrate together and even join in matrimony.” He kisses her gently. “What do you say?”

“OK,” she says. “Let’s do it!”

She holds her amulet high above her head.

Suddenly, the blue stone and the red stone rise up over them and merge to become a beautiful purple coloured crystal whose purple light creates a protective bubble around the couple and pushes everyone else out with powerful winds.

“Harry, what’s happening?” Yells Maggie as she tries not to lose her footing.

Brent tries to get closer to Autumn but is pushed back by the strong winds.

The jewel gets bigger and bigger and then collapses on itself.

Harry screams, “It’s going to blow!”

Brent grabs Mel and Maggie and disappears as Harry barely has time to grab Macy and orb away before a strong light inundates absolutely everything.


	9. Chapter 9

Epilogue

Mel wakes up in a field of wild flowers. She straightens up and sees her little sister lying motionless on the ground. Alarmed, she runs to her.

“Maggie! Maggie! Please wake up! I’m begging you!”

Maggie groans. “Five more minutes, Mom.” Before turning on her side and continuing to sleep.

“She’ll be fine.”

Mel lifts up her head and sees Brent looking intensely at her. He walks over to her and removes a twig that was caught in her hair.

“Since we’re no longer on opposite sides, maybe we could go for a drink sometime.”

She smiles, “Thanks but, I’m already seeing someone. We could still be friends.”

“I’d like that.”

Further away, Macy opens her eyes. She notices Harry lying protectively on top of her. He’s passed out, and blood is running down his temple.

Panicked, she tries to wake him up. “Harry! Harry!”

He opens his eyes and smiles at her. Then, realizing he’s on top of her, he rushes to his feet.

“So sorry. Are you alright?”

_Typical Harry_ , she thinks. _So selfless. Here you are with a gushing wound and your first thought is other people’s well-being_ , **my** _well-being_.

She gets up.

“Listen, Harry, about what you said when I was a swan…”

“We don’t need to talk about that,” he interrupts.

“OK.” She nods. “No talking. I’d rather do this anyway.”

She grabs him and kisses him.

He looks at her surprised. She grins.

He pulls her back towards him and kisses her passionately.

***

Later, Harry and Macy, holding hands, make their way through the crowds of people from Pilferes and Veraliss kingdoms –gathered to hear the Prince and Autumn speak.

Mel, who’s with Maggie, sees them and waves them over. They notice the new found closeness between their sister and their Whitelighter.

The group listens to the Prince.

“[…] Together we will create a future that will be tremendously better than anything we could ever accomplish apart, not by forgetting but by remembering so that the evils of the past never happen again.”

The crowd cheers.

“It’s up to each of us to fight for justice and create the peaceful society we all deserve,” adds Autumn.

After the speech, Prince Lyr and Autumn go to The Charmed Ones and Harry.

“We can never thank you enough for everything you’ve done.”

“So, everyone from Pilferes and Veraliss just agrees to get along?” asks Mel, skeptical.

“No,” answers Autumn, “it’s not going to be that easy. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and a lot of healing to do, but most of us agree that things can’t stay the way they are. We are all determined to forge a better future for generations to come.”

“Looks like it all worked out for you,” says Macy to Autumn before walking away.

Autumn goes after her.

“Macy, I don’t think I apologized for having you turned into a swan and then imprisoned. I truly am sorry.”

“You were willing to sacrifice me.”

Macy kneels to pet one of the swans that has approached her.

Autumn looks at all the swans gathering around Macy –not her. She is filled with guilt and a little shame for what she did.

“How can I make it better?”

“Autumn, you and the Prince say all the right things, but it’s not enough to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk too. These people,” she points at the crowd, “they’re looking for leaders. Act with integrity. You and Lyr need to be accountable to them. You both have to hold yourselves to a higher standard.”

“You’re absolutely right, and we will. Then, you’ll forgive me?” she asks with pleading eyes.

“Consider yourself forgiven.”

The two women smile at each other before walking back to the group.

“So,” asks Maggie, “what are you going to call the new kingdom?”

“We don’t know yet,” says the Prince, “but we want something that reflects our commitment to unity.”

“How about Harmony?” she suggests.

“Harmony?” repeats the Prince.

“It does sound nice!” says Autumn. “We’ll propose that name to our people and let them decide.”

The Charmed Ones and Harry chat some more with the Prince and Autumn before orbing back to the house.

In the living room

Maggie and Mel look at their sister and their Whitelighter who only have eyes for each other.

“I have a sudden urge to finish my report,” says Maggie, “I’m off to Safe Space!”

“Wait for me, Mags! I think Ruby’s working tonight!”

They rush to the front door.

“See you later!”

“Bye!”

In the empty house, Harry and Macy gaze at each other ardently.

***

Macy goes up the stairs that lead to the attic. Her heart is pounding. She pauses before entering. After tonight, there is no going back. Things will never be the same between her and Harry.

Part of her is afraid of what could happen if things don’t work out, while another part is excited about finally finding her one and only. After all, she loves Harry. She’s probably been in love with him for a long time now, she just was too confused to realize it.

Macy wants this. She wants to be with Harry and share with him her most sacred self. She enters the attic. The room is lit with many candles that cast a beautiful warm light. She sees a shirtless Harry lighting the remaining candles. _When does he have time to work out?_ She thinks as she admires his physique.

As if feeling her gaze on him, Harry turns around and smiles when he sees her. He can’t help but stare at the gorgeous woman standing at the door. She is wearing a beautiful silk kimono. Macy can feel her heart beating faster and faster as he slowly walks towards her.

He takes her hand and guides her to a little love nest by the window. The full moon casts a blueish light on the fluffy pillows and soft blankets.

He sweeps her hair back and gently caresses her cheek before softly kissing her. He then removes her kimono, revealing a white silk and lace negligee.

He stares at her, “Is this a dream? I keep fearing that you’ll disappear on me.”

“Oh, I’m not going anywhere,” she says, “I’m finally home.” He hugs her tight and kisses her passionately. The two lay down on the pillows.

At the window, a swan who was looking in flies away into the starry night.

THE END


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